… "And the government shall be upon his shoulders"

Great insights @elliottbnewcombjr . I especially like this quote from praeclara.org:

"Why then did Handel compose Messiah? Or more precisely, why did he dare? The immediate answer is that by 1741 Handel’s life and career were in trouble. Not only was he deeply in debt and partially paralyzed by stroke, but his latest Old Testament oratorios, including Israel in Egypt, had been poorly received. When the Duke of Devonshire invited him to compose a work for a concert in Dublin to raise money for a variety of charities (including the Charitable Musical Society for the Relief of Imprisoned Debtors), Handel most likely decided upon Messiah in the belief that an oratorio based on “new material”� — the New Testament — might succeed where his previous oratorios had failed and that perhaps the concert’s Christian charitable purpose would shield him from charges of committing sacrilege.

Even then, Handel took extra precautions. Although Messiah is about the life and passion of Jesus, more than half its texts derive from the Old Testament."

and, "Handel’s own attitudes toward Messiah remain a mystery, and we will probably never know if he intended this work as a clever career move or as a tribute to God, or, as is quite possible, both."

Welcome back @mahgister , I haven’t seen you around these parts for quite a spell partner. I Hope you have been well.

As far as Handel's genius goes, I much prefer his Water Music and Royal Fireworks music. Given that I have never been able to make myself into an Opera fan, I have sat though two versions of the complete Oratorio in my life and I sincerely doubt there will be a third. For me it's all about the Hallelujah Chorus then it's done. :-)

Thanks my friend i was well just absent a bit...

Welcome back @mahgister , I haven’t seen you around these parts for quite a spell partner. I Hope you have been well.

It is difficult to change our conditioning habit...

I like choral music more than anything and vocal music because even as a baby my father sing me songs and i listened each noon without knowing even school a radio program with folk choral music , folklore or sacred or popular with three or 4 voices most of the times...

I am not an opera fan as you but a sacred music and folklore or world music choral fan (Armenian,Russian,pygmees african choral, byzantium,old gregorian etc )

I have never been able to make myself into an Opera fan,

@mahgister That is a great memory to have of your father!

I like vocals well enough if I like the music they are embedded in. World and folk, great usually, classic jazz great,  Choral, often, gregorian has always been mesmerizing.  It is the style of Opera singing that I can't warm to. It seems too artificial. Ironically that may be what others see as the ART of it.  I don't cotton to musicals much either, not suprisingly since they are really just modern opera for the most part. Pardon the broad generalizations above.

There is a second comming of christ where every knee will bow.he will reign with purity and truth according to the book of revelation in the new testiment.as a surgeon i had many patients trauma very bad from accidents.when I got them out of the hospital and back to followup in the office I had several that stated they had the opportunity to stay or go.it was so frequent I doubt it was the anesthesia. 3 states 3 choppers and a jet brought bad trauma in for decades. I hope i have not cast my pearls before the swine. Keep safe stay healthy and enjoy the music.people in any job can be inspired for the good of mankind from on high.